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Food, family and memories are as intertwined in the South as if woven on the same thread. At any function we attend, from a party to a wedding to a funeral, we are as likely to talk as much about the food that was there, as we are about why we are gathered. ~Mary Foreman

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Sunday, March 28, 2010

The good ole classic All American Burger to me means a good ground chuck beef burger, pickles, tomato, grilled onion, mayo, mustard and ketchup on a toasted bun & topped with bacon and cheese, if you like.

All American Burger

Saturday was a gardening day so supper had to be simple. Grilled burgers and southern style potato salad. Grilled corn on the cob would be good too, but we just had that the night before {and yeah, I know, that's a lot of starches} so I settled on the burger and tater salad and it was plenty. Oh, well, there might have been a bit of leftover banana pudding involved there too.

Since I've previously put up posts for a classic onion burger and my pepper jack stuffed burger, I thought I'd do a post for what I consider to be a basic, all American burger. Nothing fancy or outrageous here, just a simple, classic, ground beef burger with a light brushing of butter, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and dressed with mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, pickles, tomato and lettuce all on a toasted bun. Throw a little cheese on there, and you've got your classic cheeseburger. Add some bacon, and you got yourself a nice bacon cheeseburger. Ain't nothin' wrong with that!

I didn't get a photo of the buns, but use the melted butter to brush the insides on all of the buns first, reserving the leftover butter. Stick them back together and back into the bag or just wrap them up in something; set aside. Cut the onion into about 1/2-inch thick rings. Shape the burger patties - but take care not to manhandle them. You really want to just gently press them down and shape around the edges without handling them too much. Over handling ground beef will rob your burger of it's tender juiciness and toughen it, so just sort of push the ground beef gently into a patty shape, about 4 inches across. Make a slight indentation in the center of each patty.

Brush the burgers and the onion slices very lightly with some of the remaining melted butter, but only on the top side. Sprinkle the burgers and the onions with salt and pepper on that same side. Reserve the rest of the butter for when you turn the burgers.

Oil the grill grates and put the burgers on the grill, indented and buttered side down, and grill for about 4 minutes. Do the onions off on the side, checking and turning those as they brown. Brush the remaining butter and add salt and pepper to the top side of the burgers and turn them to finish cooking. Toast the buns on the top rack of the grill if you have one, if not, grill them on the grates themselves, but it'll only take seconds so keep an eye on them.

Don't press on the burgers as they cook - just resist the urge! That'll compact them and press out all those nice juices that help to keep your burger moist. Once they're ready, to build an all American burger, first brush both sides of the bun with a light layer of mayonnaise. Did you know that the fat contained in the mayo when spread on the bottom bun, forms a barrier that helps to keep the bun from absorbing juices from the burger and going soggy on ya?

Add a grilled burger, then ketchup and mustard.

Couple slices of pickles - I am totally digging these Wickles pickles I recently discovered - sort of a sweet and spicy, garlicy pickle - just perfect for burgers - though I have admittedly snacked on most of them right out of the jar. As a matter of fact, they would have been pretty darned good in that potato salad I'll bet... that is, had there been enough of them left for me to use. A product of Alabama, I found them at my local Rouses market. Mmmmm.... so good, and yes. I am now hooked on them. But back to the burger... top that with a thick slice of tomato.

Add a chunk of lettuce - romaine is usually what we have in the house - but use iceberg, or whatever you like or have. Add the top of the bun and a side of southern style potato salad, and devour. Ooops! I forgot the grilled onion!

Oh no I di'nt!!

Now that ladies and gents, is what I'm talkin' about! Heellllooooo lover.

Preheat the grill to high. Cook the bacon until crisp, drain on paper towels and set aside. Brush the inside of the buns with the melted butter, stack back together and wrap to keep fresh. Set aside and reserve the remaining butter. Divide the meat evenly into 6 even balls, and handling as little as possible, shape into equal sized patties. Make a slight indentation in the top and brush the top of the meat patties lightly with the remaining melted butter; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cut onion into 6 thick slices, keeping the rings intact.

Oil the grill grate. Place the burgers, indented butter side side, and the onions on the hot grill and grill with the lid open for about 4 minutes. Place the buns, butter side down, on the top rack. Brush the other side of the burger with the butter, sprinkle with salt and pepper and turn, cooking for another 4-5 minutes for medium, or until done. For a cheeseburger, cook 4 minutes, flip the burger, grill for about 2 minutes, add the cheese, close the lid on the grill, and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted and burger cooked.

Add mayonnaise on both sides of the bun. Add burger to bottom bun and top with ketchup, mustard, pickles, one of the grilled onions, a thick slice of tomato, and lettuce. Serve with a side of potato salad and some grilled corn on the cob. Devour.

Cook's Notes: I think that ground chuck is the best option for a great burger. It has 20% fat, and, unless you overcook it, produces a nice, juicy burger. You can use a leaner beef, however, it does cook faster than a higher fat burger, so check it early to ensure that you do not overcook it. Consider some add-ins for moisture - steak sauces, barbecue sauce, evenly finely minced veggies, can help. The freshest and best ground chuck for burgers comes from purchasing a roast and having the butcher at your store grind it for you. The bonus for grinding your own beef, is that you can know that it is safe to cook your burger more to a medium rather than having to cook it well done.

Material Disclosure: Unless otherwise noted, you should assume that post links to the providers of goods and services mentioned, establish an affiliate relationship and/or other material connection and that I may be compensated when you purchase from a provider. You are never under any obligation to purchase anything when using my recipes and you should always perform due diligence before buying goods or services from anyone via the Internet or offline.

This makes me hungry for a grilled burger, and it's not even 8am yet. I'm in central AL and you are right, Wickles are great! They also make a relish that's wonderful in potato salad, or on hot dogs, etc. I'm glad you can purchase it on the coast. Now, if we could just get Slap Ya Mama seasoning here . . .

Wickles makes great stuff, but those pickles chips are pretty thick and I usually slice them through the middle to make them thinner -- 2 turns into 4 and covers the whole burger! Have you tried their red Hoagie + Sub Sandwich Relish? Oh my...

Yeah they are thick, but I sure love them. Since they're a bit pricey, I only treat myself to them every once in awhile. Haven't tried the relish, but it looks really good! Do you use it on your burgers?

Sorry, I just saw your reply when I revisited this page after seeing your burger post today. I do not use their Red Relish on burgers, but I love it on big deli-style sandwiches. I little bit goes a long way! I hope you get to try it soon. It's special.

Love the old basics. You just can't beat it. Absolutely adore how your photos make it come alive in my cravings. I have had the Wickles. Although I prefer just an original hamburger dill on my burgers, Wickles are outstanding all on their own. Thanks for another good post Mary!

Thanks for taking the time to comment - I love hearing from readers and I read every single comment and try to respond to them right here on the site, so stop back by!

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